Flash forward a few minutes: Gail sits down with us and challenges Marissa to a game of connect four. Marissa and Gail start to play and immediately Gail starts to tell us about herself.
We haven’t been sitting there long and another girl walks up. She challenges me to connect four. I warn her that I am not very good at this game. She just smiles and gets the game ready.
We start to play and in my head I wonder what these women think of us. Do they think we are here to take them home? Do they think we are here to party?
We are all playing games and having a good time. A girl named Brim walks up. She is the bartender; she is 41 and doesn’t like working in the bars. She needs to provide for her family and isn’t sure any other job would provide for her.
She is full of shame and hopelessness. She doesn’t want to be there and you can tell by the way she talks that she is miserable.
She finally asked me about my job. I told her that I was a missionary. She was curious about what that meant. I told her about the past year of my life. Told her that I was traveling around telling people about Jesus Christ.
We were asked to join in the new game the others were playing. We were all now playing a game together. 3 of them and 3 of us were laughing and joking around.
The girls were relaxed and having a good time. They all had smiles on their faces. Their personalities were starting to show. The were having fun and so were we.
.
Then two men walked in the bar. The women immediately started to shut down. They were no longer relaxed. They seemed very anxious.
I left there very sad. I saw the girls having fun and laughing. Then I saw the fear in their eyes as the men arrived.
I don’t know what they go through every day. I don’t have a clue about the lifestyle they live or the pain they endure daily.
I do know God has other plans for them. I do know he loves them unconditionally and I hope to bring them that love this month.
